Within just three weeks, ‘Inside Out 2’ has joined an exclusive club of only 11 animated films ever to achieve the remarkable milestone of earning over $1 billion worldwide.
The emotional and heartfelt journey of ‘Inside Out 2’ has struck a chord with audiences globally.
This delightful sequel from Disney-Pixar about the emotions of a teenage girl has not only captivated moviegoers but has also become the biggest cinematic success of 2024, reaching the $1 billion mark internationally in less than three weeks since its release on June 14.
The last film to achieve this impressive feat at the global box office was ‘Barbie,’ which premiered in July 2023.
According to The Walt Disney Company, ‘Inside Out 2’ now holds the title of the fastest animated film ever to hit $1 billion. In North America, it raked in $469.3 million, with an additional $545.5 million earned from international markets.
By surpassing $1 billion, ‘Inside Out 2’ has become one of only 11 animated movies to ever reach this awe-inspiring sum. It has also outshone the earnings of its predecessor, 2015’s ‘Inside Out,’ which garnered $859 million around the globe.
Directed by Kelsey Mann, this beloved film features a stellar voice cast including Amy Poehler as Joy, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, Tony Hale as Fear, Maya Hawke as the new emotion Anxiety, among others. It also set a new benchmark for the biggest box office opening of 2024 and achieved the second-largest animated box office opening of all time in the U.S., just behind another Disney-Pixar hit, ‘Incredibles 2,’ released in 2018.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to have reached this phenomenal milestone in record time, and it once again proves that global audiences will come out for a great movie,” expressed Tony Chambers, executive vice president of theatrical distribution for The Walt Disney Company, in a statement.
“The film’s remarkable success is a testament not only to the incredible creativity of the Pixar team but an example of moviegoing at its very best.”
Speaking to Time magazine before the release of the sequel, Pete Docter, Pixar’s chief creative officer and director of the original ‘Inside Out,’ had high hopes despite the overall lukewarm box office results in the first half of 2024. “I can’t imagine having a better chance at a big box office than this because it’s a known movie and characters that meant something to people… and hopefully something meaty at the heart of it that you can take home as well,” Docter said in June.
“If this doesn’t do well at the theater, I think it just means we’re going to have to think even more radically about how we run our business.”
Before ‘Inside Out 2,’ the biggest opening of the year was ‘Dune: Part Two,’ which has accumulated $712 million worldwide.
‘Inside Out 2’ is still playing in theaters. Up next for Pixar is the original story ‘Elio’ in 2025, followed by the highly anticipated sequel ‘Toy Story 5,’ set for release in 2026.